Developers in southeast Fort Worth are on their way to getting even more land for a planned $10 billion data center project that has already secured rezoning for roughly 400 acres .
At the Fort Worth Zoning Commission meeting on Dec. 10, representatives from Black Mountain Power — a Fort Worth-based partnership of fossil fuel and mining companies — made their case to commissioners to get another 42.06 acres rezoned from agricultural use to light industrial use.
The rezoning would affect the odd-numbered addresses between the 7200 and 7500 blocks of Anglin Drive off of LonStephenson Road, south of Interstate 20.
Black Mountain Power has put in several applications to rezone areas for the data center project. In September, the Fort Worth City Council granted final zoning approval for an additional 119 acres of land.
In June, it was 171 acres. In January, it was 141 acres. Throughout the year, Black Mountain has created a piecemeal transformation of the land centered among Forest Hill, Everman and Kennedale.
Black Mountain Power held a community meeting with some residents who would be affected by the Anglin Drive rezoning, Bob Riley, a consultant with the Richardson-based company Halff who is working on behalf of Black Mountain, explained at the Dec. 10 meeting.
Black Mountain has also held a meeting with the Fort Worth Water Department on Dec. 2, Riley said, to begin planning for the water needs of the entire complex.
Residents have expressed fierce opposition to the data center project, which would sit directly next to Weston Gardens, a longtime Fort Worth outdoor sanctuary and nursery.
Even with more than 400 acres rezoned for the project, Riley said at the meeting on Thursday that more applications are coming. The project does not yet have a final building plan.
“How much bigger are we getting?” zoning commissioner Jacob Wurman asked Riley.
“I don’t think we’ll get much bigger after the next one,” Riley replied.
The motion was approved unanimously by the commission, and will now make its way to City Council.
Riley wouldn’t specify to the Star-Telegram how many acres would be included in the next application.